“Create a playable kung fu movie.” That’s the goal S-Game set for Phantom Blade Zero, per director Soulframe — and the preview wave that landed this week suggests the studio may have actually done it, three weeks before the wuxia action-RPG launches on PS5 and PC on October 29.
Donnie Yen, Wirework and 15-20 Stunt Performers
Polygon’s hands-on details how seriously the studio took the brief: S-Game recruited movie star and martial artist Donnie Yen as a creative consultant — he is playing and mo-capping a character in the game — and Yen leads a team of about 15-20 stunt performers who help choreograph the action, wirework stunts and all, like in the wuxia movies. Action director Kenji Tanigaki, best known for The Furious, is on board too. The result, per Polygon: “every animation has an over-the-top flourish” — hero Soul doesn’t just strike, he whirls his sword with panache, air trails following.
What the Previews Say
The verdicts so far run hot. Polygon: “After 4 hours, Phantom Blade Zero just became my most-anticipated action game.” GamesRadar calls its first three hours “a wuxia-flavored, rewarding action-RPG with a fresh Soulslike twist,” praising “scintillating” combat across a horror-tinged world — including a boss fight against Flame, the Mask-Bound Lion Dance Grandmaster, who brings a faster, martial-artist phase two. DualShockers notes the game “will test your skills,” with combat mastery central to the experience — though completionists will find the trophies a breeze.
China’s Next Big Export
Insider Gaming’s interview places Phantom Blade Zero in the growing wave of Chinese-developed games courting the West — after Black Myth: Wukong and Where Winds Meet found international success. S-Game’s own path is different: the director says the team grew up on Hollywood and anime, influences that taught it that stories “can transcend cultural boundaries.” October 29 will show whether the West agrees.
Sources
- Polygon — After 4 Hours, Phantom Blade Zero Just Became My Most-Anticipated Action Game
- GamesRadar — After 3 hours, Phantom Blade Zero is a wuxia-flavored, rewarding action-RPG with a fresh Soulslike twist
- Insider Gaming — How Phantom Blade Zero Is Looking To Appeal To A Western Audience
- DualShockers — Phantom Blade Zero Will Test Your Skills, But Its Trophies Will Be a Breeze